Side dish

The bombers vanished by 4:08 p.m., an hour
after they'd gone on sale. A year ago, they'd held out until around
7.

Last Friday, Bristol Brewing Co.'s Venetucci
Pumpkin Ale created a stir previously unseen on South Tejon Street,
with a line leading out the door and past the building. By midday
Saturday, no more drafts could be had in-house, and shelves at most
nearby liquor stores had been raided as well.

The only drops of this year's batch left to be
scored, according to Bristol "beerocrat" Laura Long, are from a handful
of kegs at local businesses. As of Monday, they included Kinfolks,
Front Range Barbeque, Old Chicago, Rasta Pasta and the Blue Star.

"A lot of people say it's the best pumpkin ale
they've ever had," says Long. "We use real pumpkins, not a purée
or extract. Nobody could afford the labor or ingredients on the large
scale. And every year, we're busier from the story's own momentum."

That story starts with Nick Venetucci's legacy
(giving some 5 million pumpkins to children over the years), and
continues with the 20 or so volunteers who now pick and then roast the
pumpkins on Bristol's back patio. The happy ending comes with 100
percent of the 51 barrels' profits (some $15,000 last year) going
directly to the farm's sponsor, the Pikes Peak Community
Foundation.

Given factors such as the farm's pumpkin output
and the amount of the squash that can fit into the beer mash, Long says
it's unlikely the brewery will increase the volume of future Venetucci
Ale productions. So, if you want to worship the great pumpkin next
year, best bust out the camping gear.

Tasty topography

While on the topic of beer fanaticism, you
should know that the updated third edition of the Beer Drinker's
Guide to Colorado (beerdrinkersguidetocolorado.com)
was recently released, featuring 121 suds sights and an enhanced relief
map "recognized as a Space Imagination Product by the Space
Foundation's Space Certification Program." Betcha weren't expecting
that.

Rolled and fold-up versions cost $12.95 and
laminated copies go for $39.95. The good news: Those costs are offset
by more than $100 in coupons for beer, food, brew supplies and more,
included with each map.